A part on your board is out of stock everywhere

The workflow

1. TriggerGitHubPublic hardware repos and their BOM files
2. Evidence
   JLCPCB partsStock and lifecycle status by part
3. Artifact
   What you hand overThree pin-compatible replacements with stock levels and the BOM diff.
4. Contact
   GliderFinds the hardware lead, with a verified work email and a phone
5. Message
   Send itFrom your own mailboxes, evidence attached

The play in six steps

1. 01

   Read the BOM

   GitHub

   What you pull

   Public hardware repositories with a bill of materials: part numbers, footprints and the last commit date.

   Why it matters

   An active repo with a BOM is a product someone is still building. Every part is listed.

   Example

   Open-source sensor board · BOM updated last month · 41 parts

2. 02

   Check every part's stock

   JLCPCB parts

   What you pull

   Stock and lifecycle status for each part in the BOM.

   Why it matters

   A part with no stock and a not-recommended status will block the next production run.

   Example

   Voltage regulator · 0 in stock · marked not recommended for new designs

3. 03

   Build the replacement list

   Your artifact

   What you build

   Three pin-compatible parts with matching specs, their stock, and the line-by-line BOM change.

   Why it works

   The hardware lead can merge it, not research it.

   Example

   3 drop-in regulators · 12,000 to 80,000 in stock · same footprint

4. 04

   Check before you send

   Pin-compatible is not always electrically equivalent. Check the datasheets for dropout, current and thermal limits before you call a part a drop-in.

5. 05

   Find the hardware lead in Glider

   Glider

   Search for

   Hardware leadElectrical engineerFounderSupply chain manager

   Why them

   The hardware lead owns the BOM and the next build. At a small company that is the founder.

   What you get

   A work email and a direct phone, with the email verified before it goes into a sequence.

6. 06

   Send the evidence, then run the first test

   Your sensor board's BOM uses a voltage regulator¹ that shows zero stock at JLCPCB and is marked not recommended for new designs.² I found three pin-compatible replacements that are in stock and wrote up the BOM diff.³ Want me to open it as a pull request?

   • Facts from the data (the number is the step)
   • What you built for them
   • One small ask

   Why it works

   It catches a problem before their next build and offers the fix in the form an engineer prefers: a pull request.

   First test

   Thirty active hardware repos with a part at risk.

   Success looks like

   Five replies out of twenty repos, and two orders.

The sample message is hypothetical and its numbers are illustrative. Verify every claim, date and rule before sending.

Sources used

The two sources this play names. Each links to the other plays that use it.

GitHubRepositories, dependencies and archived projects2 playsJLCPCB partsComponent stock and lifecycle status1 play

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